Red Bull taskmaster gives raw verdict on Jack Doohan’s F1 debut at Abu Dhabi

Jack Doohan made his F1 debut with Alpine at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and finished P15. However, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko was unimpressed with his debut, saying the rookie should have dome more to prove himself.

Alpine signed Doohan as its second driver for the 2025 season after the 21-year-old spent multiple seaons in the reserve driver role. He is set to replace Esteban Ocon, who parted ways with the French outfit to sign for Haas F1 instead.

Moreover, Alpine made the controversial decision to replace Ocon with Doohan for the final race of the 2024 season held at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Ocon had apparently expressed his desire to feature in post-season testing with Haas, and Alpine relieved him of his contract early.

Meanwhile, Doohan made his debut in Abu Dhabi but failed to impress critics and fans. He was knocked out in Q1 and started the race from P20. Moreover, the 21-year-old struggled to adjust to the conditions and finished P15, failing to score points on his F1 debut.

When Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko was asked to weigh his thoughts on Jack Doohan's debut, he said (via motorsportweek):

“There should have been more."

The Australian driver was previously a part of Red Bull's junior academy before he left in 2021 to join Alpine's academy.

Meanwhile, Doohan's seat is apparently already not safe. According to reports, the 21-year-old's new contract could cease to exist mid-season if he fails to perform as per expectations. Alpine signed Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver on a multi-year deal earlier this month.

Hence, Flavio Briatore might not want to see a promising talent like Colapinto sitting on the bench, especially if Doohan underperforms.

However, Briatore has confirmed that Doohan and Pierre Gasly will begin the season for Alpine with Colapinto the reserve driver for the time being.

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Jack Doohan gets support from Valtteri Bottas amid uncertain future

Jack Doohan (Image Source: Getty)

Franco Colapinto's signing has some fans believing that Jack Doohan could be under pressure from the off. Amid the uncertainty around his future, former Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas backed the 21-year-old.

Speaking to F1 photojournalist Kym Illman, Bottas said (Sportsrush):

"It’s too early to say. I think time will show. Jack is a promising, smart kid. Seems fast. He has got his chance to prove himself, which I believe he will do."

Doohan is the son of former MotoGP legend Mick Doohan. He has significant experience of racing in F4, F3, and F2. While the rookie has the raw talent and pace, handling the pressure of F1 will be a challenging task for him.